Comparison Data
2024 Honda Prologue Touring
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2024 Volkswagen ID. 4 Pro S AWD
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---|---|
Engine Displacement
215 kW
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210 kW
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Engine Cylinders
Dual electric motors
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Dual electric motors
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Peak Horsepower
288 hp
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335 hp
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Peak Torque
33 lb-ft
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402 lb-ft
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Fuel Economy
2.4 / 2.8 / 2.6 Le/100 km cty/hwy/cmb 21.1 / 25.0 / 22.8 kWh/100 km; 439 km range
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2.2 / 2.5 / 2.3 Le/100 km cty/hwy/cmb 19.4 / 21.9 / 20.5 kWh/100 km; 423 km range
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Cargo Space
671 / 1,543 L seats up/down
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858 / 1,818 L seats up/down
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Base Price
$69,990
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$60,495
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A/C Tax
$100
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$100
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Destination Fee
$2,000
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$2,100
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Price as Tested
$72,390
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$67,195
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Optional Equipment
$300 — Raven Black paint, $300
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$4,500 — Heat pump, $1,500; Panoramic glass roof, $1,000; 21-inch wheels, $1,000; Aurora Red paint, $1,000
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A year ago, in what was surely a surprise to almost no one, we picked the Volkswagen ID.4 over the Toyota bZ4X in an electric vehicle (EV) comparison test.
What was surprising is that it wasn’t the runaway victory you might’ve anticipated. But Volkswagen, which has been in the habit of tweaking and improving its electric crossover annually, made more notable changes for 2024.
Earlier this year, we spent time with the 2024 Honda Prologue and came away thinking it might put up a better fight than that Toyota. And that’s why we decided to bring it together with one of our favourite mainstream EVs for another head-to-head battle.
Styling
Seen in isolation, the sheer size of the Prologue isn’t as apparent as it is when it’s dwarfing the much tidier Volkswagen. It also has a show car-like stance, with big 21-inch wheels pushed to the far corners of the platform that provide an impressive — if not quite imposing — design. The new Honda wordmark across the tailgate is fresh and contemporary with its mixture of upper- and lowercase letters.
The ID.4’s narrower width, shorter length, and greater height make it a little less aggressively shaped than the Honda. It’s also a more common sight, having been on the market for a handful of years now. But this tester’s gorgeous red paint, contrasting silver roofline, and its own spidery 21-inch wheels give it a premium look. Designers gave the ID.4 sweeping curves and a pinched midsection that lead to a busier design overall. The Prologue’s comparatively square and plain look is almost slab-sided, especially finished in black as our tester was.
Inside, these two share more styling similarities than differences. Both have dashboards dominated by sizable central screens, plus secondary instrument displays, but the designs are clean and without flourish otherwise. While the Volkswagen can be specced with a different interior colour, both of our test machines had two-tone black and grey seating, making them a little drab. The ID.4’s interior finishes and materials look and feel richer by comparison.
Honda Prologue: 7/10; Volkswagen ID.4: 7/10
User-Friendliness
The Honda’s interior is a bit busier than the Volkswagen’s, but in this case it’s because of the collection of dials for temperature and volume controls, and a series of honest-to-goodness buttons for other climate and seat settings.
The Volkswagen’s touchscreen is canted toward the driver, and its small instrument display provides only the essential information. But that’s the end of the compliments for a cockpit that is otherwise compromised by puzzling design choices and cost-saving measures, with tedious haptic panels for temperature, volume, and steering wheel controls.
The Prologue isn’t without its own annoyances. The turn signal stalk serves wiper and high-beam functions, but the rest of the headlight controls are found a few menus deep on the touchscreen. Both of these EVs have column gear selectors, too, but the Honda’s requires a pull and a movement up or down, whereas the Volkswagen’s needs just an intuitive twist forward to go forward, or backward to reverse.
Honda Prologue: 6.5/10; Volkswagen ID.4: 6/10
Features
As the top trims in their respective lineups, these two testers offer up a lot of features. Dual-zone climate control, heated steering wheels, and heated and ventilated seats are found in both, as is wireless smartphone connectivity for CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s also onboard Wi-Fi. Kudos to both brands for having vertically-oriented wireless charging pads that free up space for cubbies.
Both testers have enormous roof-spanning glass, although the Honda’s opens while the Volkswagen’s just turns the cabin into a sunny hothouse. The ID.4 has heated rear seats while the Honda does not, but the Prologue has a household outlet in the backseat that’s absent in the VW.
Honda Prologue: 8/10; Volkswagen ID.4: 8/10
Comfort
Up front, both EVs have well-bolstered front seats. The shape and cushioning of the Volkswagen’s thrones felt comfier to yours truly, but there are no complaints about the Honda’s seats. In the back, if three passengers are crammed in they’ll surely appreciate the Honda’s greater width, but headroom is limited. Despite giving up some rear-seat legroom to the Prologue, the ID.4 is the better back seat for two.
Honda Prologue: 7/10; Volkswagen ID.4: 7.5/10
Practicality
The Prologue’s wheelbase is a whopping 329 mm (13.0 in) longer than the ID.4’s. Its overall passenger compartment volume is notably greater, too. But the Volkswagen isn’t small inside, easily seating four adults (and a fifth in a pinch), and if those travellers have luggage, the ID.4’s 858 L of cargo volume is considerably more than the Prologue’s 671 L. Fold the seats down in each and the VW’s cargo hold expands to 1,818 L compared to 1,543 L in the Honda.
Honda Prologue: 7.5/10; Volkswagen ID.4: 8/10
Power
Everything to this point applied to last year’s comparison-winning ID.4, but the big news for this year is its power bump from 295 hp to 335 hp with all-wheel drive. Better yet, the torque tops 400 lb-ft now, letting it snap to highway speed in about five seconds flat. Throttle response is lively, and passing is a breeze with the instant thrust typical of EVs.
If the ID.4 feels properly quick, the Prologue feels moderately brisk by comparison. It’s down on power (288 hp) and torque (333 lb-ft) compared to the Volkswagen, and it also weighs a portly 200 kg (441 lb) more, all of which makes it a second or so slower to reach 100 km/h. Still decently snappy for passing, the Prologue feels sluggish against the ID.4.
Honda Prologue: 7/10; Volkswagen ID.4: 8/10
Driving Feel
The Prologue’s greater mass and size work against it for driving feel, too. Both EVs benefit from the low centre of gravity afforded by their heavy battery packs sandwiched in the floor, but the Honda always makes its bulk evident on the road. And when parking, the Prologue’s greater width and longer wheelbase make it less manoeuvrable in tight spaces. Having inherited the Chevrolet Blazer EV’s platform, Honda was forced to work with what it was given.
The ID.4 is surprisingly competent when hustled around corners, its all-wheel drive system doling out power where it’s best utilized. Still, neither of these crossovers offer much in the way of steering feel, and when driven around town and commuting both are mostly devoid of any sort of driver engagement, doing duty as appliances of conveyance and not much else.
Honda Prologue: 6.5/10; Volkswagen ID.4: 7.5/10
Fuel Economy
Impressively, while the ID.4 gains power, it also benefits from greater range for 2024. Now officially rated at 423 km, the Volkswagen is competitive with other EVs in the segment, but the Prologue’s rating of 439 km still gets the edge. What’s more, when charged fully, our Prologue tester was boasting a projected range north of 470 km thanks in part to the mild weather conditions. After driving around, the Honda’s estimates usually played out to be pretty accurate.
That greater range stems from a larger 85-kWh battery pack versus the VW’s 77-kWh unit, which means it takes longer to charge fully (9.5 hours versus eight on a Level 2 home charger). The same is true even when hooked up to a DC fast-charger, where the Honda is limited to 155-kW speeds versus the Volkswagen topping out at 175 kW. Add to that Volkswagen’s offer of 1,400 kWh of free charging at Electrify Canada stations, and it will cost less to keep the ID.4 juiced up.
Honda Prologue: 9/10; Volkswagen ID.4: 9.5/10
Safety
Both Honda and Volkswagen have outfitted these models with comprehensive advanced safety suites including lane-keeping assistance, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, automatic high-beam control, parking sensors, and adaptive cruise control. The ID.4 also adds self-parking functionality and road sign reading and display. The ID.4 has earned a Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and five stars from the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Neither organization had published results for the Prologue at the time of this writing.
Honda Prologue: 9/10; Volkswagen ID.4: 9.5/10
Value
Our pair of top-trim testers represent the cream of the mainstream EV crop. The base Honda Prologue starts at $59,990, with the Touring version tested here topped $72,000 after some options and freight were factored in. The ID.4 Pro S AWD starts at $60,495, plus the panoramic glass roof, 21-inch wheels, and heat pump that are all standard on the Honda are extra-cost options on the ID.4. With options and fees included, our tester rang the register at $67,195.
Honda Prologue: 6/10; Volkswagen ID.4: 9/10
The Verdict
For the brand’s first EV in Canada, the 2024 Honda Prologue is a solid effort; but with so many elements inherited from its donor platform, it only makes us eager to see what Honda comes up with on its own further down the road. The Prologue boasts the longest wheelbase in the class, but with scant rear headroom and cargo space, a lot of that interior volume seems wasted, making a needlessly cumbersome vehicle. The 2024 Volkswagen ID.4, while still suffering from some questionable ergonomic features, offers more premium finishes and a quicker, tidier drive experience, plus a better value, making it our pick once again.